The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-11-04
What Shall We Vote For?

Men or party name? A large ma
jority of the voters of this state have
been voting for party names for quite
u while. In Baltimore City they vot-
ed for this so well that when they had
mind to vote for something else,
they found that they had lost the OPP
portunity and their ballots were burn
ed or destroyed by men who were plac-
ed in control of the offices by the prac
tice of voting only for party names.
This practice has caused political mat
tiers to become intolerable in the Mon
umental City and has stirred up the
greatest commotion there which has
been experienced since the early days
of the rebellion.
The bad results of voting for party
and leaving men entirely out of mind
is the same in results every where to a
greater or less degree. What would a
farmer think if he wanted good hand
to work on the farm and some broker
in labor would furnish him with a
sailor or weaver who did not know a
plow from rake, with the assurance
that he voted the same party tickle,
and therefore he was the proper man
to hire? And on further investigation
lit was discovered that he not onIy
knew nothing of farm work but that
he stole everything he could lay hands
on, chickens potatoes, grain, fruit, ev-
erything about the farm, and he and
the broker divided the plumber. the
broker taking the lions share which
he claimed for securing him the place.
If a farmer were served this way in
his business he would fail to find
words to denounce. such hlghhanded
outrage; yet that same farmer, land
thousands of others) will suffer his po-
litical interests to be managed in this
way and consider he is acting the
part of good citizen and sensible man.
This system of running politics is not
apparent in most country places as in
large cities, the amount of property to
appropriate in the former not being so
abundan mt as in the latter. There the
water, gas and other companies obtain
such privileges as Senable them to levy
what tribute they please on the popu
lation. And the police, the streets and
numerous place are controlled by the
boss politicians who set up the men to
be voted for to manage the public bus
mess. The managing politicians keep
the terrifying threat constantly ring
ing in the public ear. "These men
have been nominated by your party,
you are bound to vote for them. or
you will have to throw away your vote
and help the opposite party. No true
man will desert hislparty," and similar
humbug. II the suggestion is ventur-
fit for the duties or trust to be placed
under their care, the answers is
prompt that the man is not to be con-
sidered, whether honest or dishonest,
capable or incapable. 1t is the party
you are voting to sustain. Every sac
rlfice must be made to accomplish this
righteous purpose.
This arrant humbugging is playing
out. People are slowly acquiring more
sense politically, and are beginning to
| realize that men are far above party
names; that to select incompetent, cor
| rupt and weak men to fill the offices
has no more sense in it than employ
ing the same class to transact our pri-
vate business. They plumber and cheat
their employers, the public, on ever
Occasion, or what Is virtually the same
thing permit the managing politician
to control and direct everything to
serve their personal ends. There is no
cure for this crying public evil but to
refuse utterly to vote for such men, and
not only profess openly but. select the
best men for the offices to be filled re-
CARELESS of party, and cut all others
from the ticket. If elected at all let
their vote be made as small as possible
so that the public sentiment may be
felt and acknowledged every where
that is rebelling against this alarming
Ieyil, Elect pure and competent men
to manage public trusts is the only
way under the sun to purify politics
and In order to place yourself in the
way of doing this is to refuse to vote
for if you cannot prevent the nomina
ton of dishonest and Incompetent
candidates. No party can claim to be
patriotic or useful that is managed in
the main by imbeciles and rascals who
are manipulated by scoundrels, COM
monty called "bosses" and machine
politicians"